The streets of downtown Ames will soon be filled with the sounds of music, strolling performers, hundreds of artists and the hustle and bustle of people.

On Sunday, the Octagon Center for the Arts will hold its 33rd annual Octagon Arts Festival in downtown Ames along Main Street, says Heather Straszheim, art coordinator for the Octagon Center.

“This year there will be over 80 artists at the festival,” Strazheim says. “Twenty-four to 25 of the artists are from five other states, the rest are from Iowa.”

Several of the artists featured at the festival are Iowa State graduates and at least eight of the artists are from the Ames area, she says.

Local artist Justin Eckles won’t have far to travel to the festival on Sunday. “We live a minute and a half from Main [Street], so it is convenient,” Eckles says.

Eckles says he is looking forward to the festival since this will be the first year he’s shown his work at the Octagon Arts Festival.

“I’m just getting started showing my work,” Eckles says. “This is my first year doing art shows.”

Straszheim says the Octagon tries to accommodate all artists and tries to have a large number of Iowan artists since some of the other art festivals in Iowa do not accept large numbers of in-state artists. For the last few years, the festival has been held inside at Hilton Coliseum, Strazheim says. This year, the Octagon Arts Center wanted to take it back to the streets.

“We’re glad to be moving it back outside,” Straszheim says.

Other recent changes to the festival include a change of date. Last year was the first year the festival was held in September, Straszheim says. In the past, the festival had been held in August. This year, the festival will be held on Sunday, which is typically the driest weekend of the year.

“We even consulted with several meteorologists to decide when the best day for the festival would be,” Straszheim says.

This year’s festival will highlight artists specializing in a wide variety of arts, including sculpture, clay, fiber, wood, painting, glass, jewelry, mixed media, baskets, photography, leather, painting, drawing and carving.

In addition to the artists’ work on display, there will also be events for the entire family, including caricatures, a balloon sculpture maker and wandering musicians, Straszheim says. There will also be an art hunt incorporating the outdoor art located in the downtown area.

Eckles says he is looking forward to networking and getting to know people at the festival.

“It will be fun to talk to people, especially about my style and their take on it,” Eckles says. “Also, you usually end up running into someone you haven’t seen in a long time at these types of things.”